Surge resistor for protecting active source of variable inductance in a power-factor correction arrangement

• US 6,359,422 B1
• Filed: 03/16/2000
• Issued: 03/19/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Converteam UK Limited (General Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: Alston UK Limited
• Inventors: Lewis, Eric Anthony
• Primary Examiner(s): BERHANE, ADOLF D
• Application Number:
  US09/463,811
• Time in Patent Office: 733 Days
• Field of Search: 323/205, 323/207, 323/208, 307/105, 363/39-41
• US Class Current: 323/207
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/1835 with stepless control
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/185 wherein such reactive element is purely inductive, e.g. superconductive magnetic energy storage systems [SMES]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/10 Technologies improving the efficiency by using switched-mode power supplies [SMPS], i.e. efficient power electronics conversion e.g. power factor correction or reduction of losses in power supplies or efficient standby modes
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 40/20 Active power filtering [APF]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 40/30 Reactive power compensation
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 80/10 Efficient use of energy, e.g. using compressed air or pressurized fluid as energy carrier

Abstract

A power-factor correction arrangement incorporates an active inductance source and a passive capacitance source switchably connected in parallel across a source of AC power. The active and passive sources are directly interconnected at their switched ends by a resistance, the value of which is chosen so that, when the passive source is switched into circuit while the active source is already connected to the AC source, the current through the passive source suffers virtually no surge.

Claims

1. A power-factor correction arrangement, comprising:

a) an active source of variable inductance;

b) a first switching circuit switchable between open and closed states, and operative for switchably connecting the active source in parallel across a supply of AC power in the closed state of the first switching circuit, the first switching circuit being connected to the active source at a first switching junction;

c) a passive source of capacitance;

d) a second switching circuit switchable between open and closed states, and operative for switchably connecting the passive source in parallel across the supply of AC power in the closed state of the second switching circuit while the first switching circuit is in the closed state of the first switching circuit, thereby drawing a surge electrical current through the passive source, the second switching circuit being connected to the passive source at a second switching junction; and

e) a surge resistance interconnected between the first and second switching junctions, and operative for reducing the surge current to protect the passive source.

2. The power-factor correction arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the surge resistance has a value such that a magnitude of the surge current through the passive source during the closed state of the first switching circuit suffers substantially no change following the switching of the second switching circuit to the closed state of the second switching circuit.

3. The power-factor correction arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the passive source is constituted by at least one capacitor.

4. The power-factor correction arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the passive source is an inductance-capacitance filter.

5. The power-factor correction arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the active source is constituted by a thyristor-controlled reactor.

6. The power-factor correction arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the active source is constituted by a pair of series-connected multipulse thyristor bridges.

7. The power-factor correction arrangement as claimed in claim 1;

and further comprising a protection circuit for monitoring the integrity of the surge resistance, the protection circuit comprising monitoring means for monitoring loss of the surge current in the surge resistance and a surge current level in the surge resistance with respect to time, and relay means operated by the monitoring means for disconnecting the active source if the current loss occurs or if a predetermined current level is exceeded.